Literary Art

“For the Lord of the Galadhrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-Earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted; for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains, and together through the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.”

[Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring]

My husband and I have been reading The Lord of the Rings out loud to each other since we got married back in May. I haven’t read the books since my sister and I took turns reading them to my little brother back in 2013, and I made my first serious Tolkien art project: this set of illustrations to go with Pippin’s Song.

I remember I sunk a solid 120 hours into these and was soooo happy with them when they were finished, although I can now see a host of little flaws in them that completely evaded my untrained eye in 2013. This time around, I’ve taken the opportunity to do another project, albeit on a smaller scale than the interminable Pippin’s Song. I’ve wanted to make this one for quite some time, and although it’s far from perfect, when I finished it earlier this month, I decided immediately that it was my favorite thing I’ve ever made, primarily because of my deep love for the subject matter. (Although the silver ink accents that catch the light like dewy gossamer certainly could be a part of it).

When I first noticed this passage in which Galadriel tells Frodo that she and Celeborn have been fighting the long defeat through the ages of the world, I was struck by the haunting beauty of the phrase, but found myself wanting to know more about what Tolkien intended by putting this statement in the mouth of this wise and oh-so experienced Elven queen.

My curiosity was satisfied when I read The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, published in 2000. “I am a Christian,” Tolkien wrote in one of his letters, “…so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’ — though it contains (and in a legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.”

There is something immensely empowering and courage-giving in this image Tolkien has given us: this picture of a great and gracious royal couple persisting in their quiet, relentless resistance of the ever-encircling darkness. This is one hardcore power couple. And perhaps they serve as a shadow of what we also have it in our power to be — all we who are looking for a better country.

[NOTE: As of just a few minutes ago,8×10 fine art prints of this piece are now available in my Etsy shop. Each print is hand-tipped with silver ink and shimmers just as gloriously as the original painting.]

I have lived in too many places and I'm homesick for the Far Country. I like thunderstorms, painting, calligraphy, fairytales and noisy crowds of children, and I write about literature, the good life, and the World’s Great Lover. In my spare time, I create calligraphy and illustrations celebrating literary masterpieces. You can find my work in my Etsy shop or request a custom order.

Letters From The Sea Tower

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